Way Down We Go
by jenny jar
Summary: Unforgotten. Cassie Stuart/Sunny Khan. The aftermath of the events of Season 2, Episode 6. AU after Season 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Whatever you can recognize isn't mine.

 **Warning:** English is neither my first, not my second language. Proceed at your own risk.

 **1\. Sunny**

"Bye dad, bye, love you, love you," the girls giggle, talking over each other, and disappear from the screen.

"Love you too," he responds, but is pretty sure they didn't hear him. Still he is smiling. The girls seem to be happy, settling in and enjoying their time with all the numerous cousins and friends. Even the strict rules that their great aunt has set up in her house can't spoil the fun.

"Sunil." It's his mother, he realizes and stops smiling. He knows what's coming and inwardly braces for the impact. "Sunil," she repeats, and her stern face fills most of the screen. Behind her, he can see his father, trying and not totally succeeding to appear like he wants to be a part of the conversation. "Romil, tell him," his mother frowns at his father, and the man's face turns slightly more miserable. Thankfully for him, she doesn't really expect his involvement, returning her attention back to Sunny almost immediately.

"Sunil," she starts again. "If you don't want to think about yourself, you have to think about your daughters. Ritu's left you. She is not coming back. How many years are you planning to mop and waste your life…"

He is not wasting his life, he is trying, Sunny bristles inwardly, but nods at appropriate intervals and waits for the usual speech to end.

"Please, bring your good clothes, we have dinners planned," his mother carries on.

"Yes, mother," he says and tries not to sigh too obviously.

For the past several years, the focus of every summer holidays, spent in Mumbai, has somehow become him being introduced to the hordes of eligible women. Or families of eligible women, living all over the world. Or friends and neighbors of women, who might somehow fit the bill.

"And it wouldn't hurt, if you smile once in a while. You used to be so good at telling those funny stories of yours."

Sunny listens half-heartedly. He enjoys his yearly two weeks in India. It can be somewhat overwhelming, and loud, and crowded. But he loves spending time with his numerous family members and friends, he loves food, and even the heat doesn't bother him too much. What he doesn't particularly like is to talk about his job. Or English weather. Or cricket. And what he absolutely dislikes is all the awkwardness and desperation of relentless attempts to set him up. There are only so many hours in a span of two weeks, when he can manage to carry on a small talk. And there are only so many times in a span of two weeks he can try and explain how he has ended up with two daughters and no wife. But he endures. For his mother's sake. Mostly.

At last, his parents say their good byes. He disconnects the video call and heaves a deep sigh.

Truth be told, dating hasn't been on the forefront of his mind lately. There were a couple of months, when the workload was truly overwhelming. He would come home exhausted and profoundly touched by the pain the victims' families had to live with, and he just didn't have it in his heart to go on a dating site. And then there was the rush of last month to get his girls ready for their six-weeks stay in Mumbai, with all the shopping, and negotiations, and phone calls, and…

Right…

Who is he kidding? The only reason he's stopped looking for a girlfriend is the kiss. Sunny shakes his head. He sounds pathetic - the kiss that didn't happen is what stopping him. Nothing else.

Sunny closes the laptop and walks to the window. The kiss that didn't happen… "It was just cripplingly embarrassing…for you," Cassie said to him then, and he still feels mortified every time he recalls it. Just as he feels mortified every time she teases him about it. And yet, and yet…

Before that non-kiss, he never thought about Cassie in any other term than his boss, the guv. Well, may be a little. Just like every man looks at any woman he comes across and for a moment thinks of her as, well, a woman. And Cassie is definitely nice to look at. And whatever he said to her that night, when he was half-drunk from the alcohol and half-drunk from the feeling of her sitting so close, practically tucked into his side… Whatever he said then was true. Is true. He realized it as soon as the words left his mouth. Yes, she is funny. And kind. And pretty. God, she is so pretty. And when she looks at him, with those big blue eyes…

If she would only let him, it would have been so easy then to unlock his arms, to touch her face, and to have… what? A kiss? A proper snog? A one-off? A relationship? A marriage? Tried as he might, Sunny can't help thinking that Cassie is definitely not a one-off kind of a woman, and he likes that.

He looks at his mobile, sitting on the kitchen counter, almost mocking him. When the work is involved, he doesn't hesitate to call her. Conversations, which start around their cases, sometimes veer off to other subjects: his girls, her house repairs… But there is no case to discuss tonight. No notes to compare. No plan to devise. Sunny sighs and thinks about calling her anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

2\. Cassie

"Bye, mom, bye, love you," the boys talk over each other, and she smiles and responds, "Bye, love you." Before she shuts the laptop, Andrew's face is back on the screen. "Mom, don't sit alone in the house. Go get yourself a glass of wine or two at the pub, and a nice chap to go with it."

"You…you…" she chuckles, but her son has already disconnected his call. "Cheeky sod," she murmurs and shuts the laptop. "Cheeky sod," she repeats to herself, but the truth of the matter is he might have a point. She really doesn't know what to do with herself these days. Or more precisely, these nights. Since the caseload has eased up somewhat lately, and she can leave the office at a reasonable hour, Cassie has managed to catch up on her bills, and laundry, and shopping, and all other things that she's being postponing doing for a while.

Now with a book in her lap and a glass of nice red wine in front of her, she knows she should be enjoying her time. While the boys are backpacking through the Continent and her father is on a trip to the north with a couple of his old school buddies, she has the house to herself, peaceful and quiet.

But it is on the nights like this she can't help thinking that there might be more to her life than her job, her sons, and her farther. And as much as she's being looking forward to reading a good book and sipping nice red at the end of the day, Cassie keeps staring at the same page without taking in a word. Instead, she thinks about dating, and online matching sites, and…

Right, who is she kidding? Since the kiss, which didn't happen, when she finds herself unoccupied, she thinks of Sunny. Since the kiss that she stopped before it happened. The kiss, for which she laughed at Sunny at the time and still teases him about…

Before that non-kiss, she never thought about him in any other terms than her DI, the officer on her squad, her partner. She has always valued his steady and calming presence, which made her days, often filled with sadness and frustration, somewhat more bearable. She's always appreciated how comfortable she felt around him. Sure, relaxed. And how easy it is to talk to him, bounce off the ideas, no matter how outrages they get. And how she can tease him about almost anything - his name, his non-existing parenting skills, his inability to find a proper girlfriend. But there has never being anything personal. Too personal… And yet…and yet…

Cassie sighs and shuts her book. All the ease, and familiarity, and comfort notwithstanding, she's always thought he had the most amazing eyes, warm and thoughtful. And the way he's being just a little overprotective of her has often made her feel giddy. And she still remembers how funny he actual was before his wife walked out on him. It often pains Cassie to think that all her teasing that result in very short, too short, moments of his merriment, barely put a dent into this dense, almost palpable air of devastation, which has settled over Sunny since his divorce. He thinks that he is hiding it well. He can't really. There has being a few times when Cassie just wanted to take his hand and tell him… Well, she doesn't tell him anything. She keeps on teasing him, and wishes dearly that one day, sooner rather than later, he finds himself one of those stunning dark-haired brown-eyed beauties, who knows how to dress, and smile, and cook. She has nothing of the sort to offer. So, she doesn't go there.

Still she thinks it would've being so easy then, when they both were half-drunk from alcohol and half-drunk from sitting too close together, to let him… what? Kiss her? Have a proper snog? A one-off? A relationship? A marriage? His ill-conceived Tinder adventures aside, Cassie doesn't believe that he is a one-off kind of a guy, and she like that.

Cassie looks at her phone, sitting on the coffee table, and thinks about ringing him. When the work is involved, she doesn't hesitate. Conversations, which start around their cases, sometimes veer off into other subjects: his girls, her house repairs… But there is no case to discuss tonight. No notes to compare. No plan to devise. Cassie takes a sip of her wine and thinks about ringing him anyway.

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 **A/N** Thank you for reading and reviewing


	3. Chapter 3

3\. Sunny

He has no idea why he has decided to come to this particular pub. Considering his reticence to ring Cassie tonight, coming to the pub, where they've spent quite a few after work hours together, seems an unlikely choice. But he needed to get out of the house, he is here now, so he takes his pint and goes to the booth in the corner.

He doesn't have to open the menu that the waiter puts in front of him to choose what he will get. He knows the offering by heart. He also knows what Cassie would've most likely ordered. Not that she is here to place any orders.

Sunny sighs and takes a sip. He is not even through his first pint and he already is well on the way to his drunken depression. Sunny sighs once more. Maybe he should ring her. He frowns at his glass. He is not hungry, but he calls the waiter anyway.

Sunny is in the middle of placing the order, when his phone buzzes.

"Guv? Is there something…" he hesitates, instantly on alert, but she cuts in, "No, no, there is no case. I'm just…" now it is she, who falters.

"Are you alright?" Sunny asks automatically.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she quickly responds, "I'm…" The rest of her sentence is drowned in the loud cheering of the crowd gathered around pub's big screen. There is a rugby game going on the telly, and, apparently, the home team is doing very well.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Sunny presses the phone harder to his ear.

"Where are you?" Cassie asks.

"Umm, the pub…"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt… It's… Never mind," she fires up. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"No, wait, you are not interrupting anything," it is Sunny now, who talks fast. "I'm here just for a pint."

"No hot date?" she chuckles.

"No. Only me," he responds quickly. Assured that she hasn't hanged up yet, he takes a breath and repeats helplessly, "Came for a pint," then takes another breath and adds, "Maybe something to eat." He curses himself inwardly for sounding so pitiful and thinks if he should finish with something like "would you like to join me?" or "do you fancy a drink?" or "could you come and sit next to me and make my evening?" But he doesn't.

"Well," she says, pauses, and adds, "Care for some company?"

"Sure," thankfully it comes out before he has a chance to somehow botch it up.

When he rings off, Sunny feels his palm, gripping the phone, is hot and sweaty. Slowly, he puts the phone down and looks at it for a long moment, as if waiting for something to happen. But nothing does, and so he turns to the waiter, who is still standing by his table, watching Sunny impassively, and tells him that he is expecting company and will order later. As the waiter walks away, Sunny drains the rest of his pint in one go.

"This is a great idea, you know," Cassie smiles as she takes a sit across from him. "I was about to go bonkers alone in the house."

Sunny barks a laugh. "I can't let it happen to my guv."

Cassie smile gets wider. Sunny clears his throat and hopes he won't blush.

They order drinks and food, and chat about this and that, and nothing in particular. Cassie jokes about her boys' travel adventures, he tries hard not to complain about the 'dangers' of his upcoming holidays in Mumbai, they both comment on the distinct lack of food in their houses, and for the first time in what seems like forever, Sunny realizes that he is actually enjoying himself.

After her second glass of wine, Cassie goes to the loo. He watches her progress as she makes her way through the thick crowd, still gathered around big screen, until she turns into a small hallway and disappears from his sight. He looks around the pub and, suddenly, feels a bit lost.

Waiting for Cassie to come back, Sunny considers ordering another round of drinks, but decides it will be too presumption of him. He then spends a couple of anxious moment, caught by the waiter's question whether to have their dinner plates cleared up. At the end he asks to leave Cassie's plate, since there are still a couple of tomato slices left. As the waiter shrugs and walks away, Sunny takes a big gulp of his beer and, for some reason, reminds himself that it is just a simple dinner with a colleague.

Even if the colleague is someone, whom he's almost kissed.

By the time he sees Cassie returning, Sunny is done with his beer. He pushes his glass aside and watches as she is trying to find her way through the pint-waving, ale-spilling, rugby-cheering crowd. At one point she looks up, catches his eyes, and smiles.

For a moment the sounds, the movements, the smells of the pub all die down and vanish around Sunny, and in this moment, with a complete clarity, he realizes that he is and, most likely, has being for a long time totally and irrevocably in love with Cassie Stuart. His boss. The guv.

He blinks, trying to dispel his startling discovery, and looks away. It can't be, it just can't, he thinks in desperation, but as the sounds of chatter, the shifting of the crowd, the smell of alcohol, the hardness of the wooden table under his fingers, all of it begin to sip back into his awareness, Sunny knows that no blinking, or sighing, or burying himself in work, or, well, anything really, can change how he feels about Cassie.

Oh, shit, shit, shit, he curses inwardly. This is not good. This is not good at all. Shit. It is a problem. A monstrous one as the problems go. He knows how perceptive she is. She will find out. And then… Wait, what if she already knows?! She is too kind to say anything. She is letting him off easy, allowing him to save face. Should he ask for transfer and be done with it?

Sunny hazards a look at her. By now Cassie is halfway back to the table and, thankfully, isn't smiling at him. As he watches her progress, a huge block in a tight vest stumbles into her and then tries to hug her. Expertly, she sidesteps him and evades his large arms. Sunny is up from his seat before he has the time to think about it.

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 **A/N** Thank you for reading and reviewing.


	4. Chapter 4

4\. Cassie.

She can't say why she has offered Sunny her company, but here she is, in the familiar pub, drinking her wine and laughing with him and a little bit at him about the prospect of all the blind dates and forced introductions he will have to endure, when he travels to India for his holidays.

"So, if you come back with no bride, your mom won't speak to you?" she laughs. "For how long?"

"For at least a couple of months," Sunny can't help, but snorts. "I hope."

They talk a little about their parent, and their kids, and the lack of food in their houses. Well into her second glass of wine Cassie thinks that she is actually enjoying herself, and they don't really need a case in the works to have a nice time over food and drinks.

A walk to the loo turns more adventurous that it should be. The crowd gathered around the telly gets bigger and rowdier, as the game draws to its end, and Cassie has hard time navigating through it. She is on her way back, when the final whistle is blown, and the shouting erupts. She catches Sunny long-suffering frown and grins. A few steps later a huge block, she is passing at the moment, makes a move to hug her, and she barely manages to avoid his stretched out enormous arms. Cassie smiles at him, nevertheless, making sure there is no unpleasant feelings. Only then she can see that Sunny is out of his seat. She gives him a subtle headshake.

When she finally makes it to the table, Sunny asks her, his voice hoarse, "Alright?"

Cassie smiles. "It was a heavenly experience."

He stares at her, "Pardon?"

"I mean the loo." Cassie watches him for a moment, before breaking out her biggest grin, "Were you planning to fight him?"

"Who?

She laughs. "That block, who was going for a hug. The blue vest?"

"Guv." Sunny looks slightly embarrassed.

"He has, like what, three stones on you. Maybe more," Cassie presses on. "And at least a foot in height. Come on, tell me what your great plan was?"

Now Sunny looks completely embarrassed and uncomfortable. Cassie knows she has to stop, to let it go. There is something in Sunny's eyes, beyond embarrassment and discomfort, that makes her take a pause, but it's not enough to stop her completely. Luckily for Sunny, before she pushes on with some sarcastic comment about those wonderful knights in shining armors who won't even be able to get on their horses, the waiter comes back to ask if they need more drinks.

They decide to leave since the celebrating crowd is rapidly becoming a bit too much.

"This was fun," Cassie tells him, as they walk out. "Next time, lets pick a non-game night."

Sunny glances at her and nods. "Do you need a lift?"

"No, I got it, thanks. My car is that way," she points up the street.

"Right, mine is that way," he gestures in the opposite direction.

"So, see you tomorrow?" Cassie has no idea why she lingers.

"See you tomorrow, guv." Sunny responds, but doesn't move either. He keeps looking at her, as if waiting for her to go first. She knows it is becoming awkward, but instead of turning around and walking away from him, she takes a step forward.

All she means to do is to give him a peck on the cheek. The sudden roar of the passing motorcycle makes Sunny jerk his head, so her lips land in the corner of his mouth instead. She leaves them there for a moment too long, and Sunny takes it as a permission for a kiss.

It is very tentative, at first, more like a brush of the lips against the lips, rather than the actual kiss, but it makes Cassie want more. The completely forgotten feeling of someone else's lips on hers, soft, warm, real, ensnare her ability to reason. She steps just a little closer and puts her hand on his arm.

Instantaneously, the kiss becomes a real one, both of them moving closer still, while their lips, and tongues, and a bit of teeth unite in this intoxicated, intricate dance that elicits a deep groan from Sunny and makes Cassie's heart beat wildly in her chest.

She is not a teenager to be kissing in the middle of the street, stunned Cassie think. She is way pass that tender edge. But for some reason, it doesn't bother her as much as it should at the moment. Even if they are doing it in not very age-appropriate fashion, she doesn't want it to stop. Maybe because it's being too long for her, maybe because he is really good at it, or maybe, just maybe, because it is Sunny bloody Khan.

A large group of still cheering rugby fans spills out of the pub doors, and there is a couple of cat calls and whistles directed at Sunny and her. His fingers on her elbow, Sunny quickly turns them so, that his back is to the crowd, and she is hidden from it. But the spell is broken. Cassie inhales sharply and steps away from him. Sunny makes no attempt to stop her.

For a long few moments she stares at him as if seeing him for the first time. They both are breathing heavily, and the dazed expression on Sunny's face tells her that just like her he is attempting to digest what has just transpired between them. At last, without a word, she turns around and walks away.

For the next three day there is no opportunity for them to spend any time alone while at work. With no active case to investigate, there is no mutual car rides or late-night chats. Instead, they have to deal with mountains of paperwork, endless meetings, and time-consuming court appearances. From time to time Cassie catches Sunny's eyes on her, and she, in turn, glances in his direction more than she's ever done before. And every night at home Cassie debates with herself if she should call him, until it gets too late to do so. Finally, she gives in.

Hearing his "Hello," she, suddenly, is too nervous. So much so that she skips all the pleasantries and goes directly to, "I think we need to talk."

"Guv?" he sounds apprehensive.

Instantly, she recalls how much she used to tease him with "slobbering all over her" comments, and winces. "Could you come over?" she hopes it sounds like an olive branch. "I have a bottle of red."

There is a long pause.

"Ok," he says at last. "Would you like me to pick up some takeaway?"

She lets out a breath, she's being apparently holding, and smiles, "That would be nice."

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 **A/N** Thank you for reading and reviewing


	5. Chapter 5

5\. Sunny

She is teasing him again. His unconscious need to protect her will make his newly discovered feelings for Cassie even harder to hide, he realizes, and he has no idea how to deal with it. For a moment, he is saved by the waiter's arrival, but he knows its only a short reprieve.

As they walk out of the pub, Sunny thinks that if he manages to say his good byes, get home, and spend enough time pondering his situation, he has a chance. But the luck is not on his side tonight, it seems. Quite suddenly, he feels Cassie's lips on his, and his resolve to ponder first, act second, evaporates in a matter of a heartbeat.

Whether he intends to do it or not, but giving the opportunity, he pours into the kiss everything he's got – months of longing, his fear of imminent rejection, and most of all the elation to finally being able to kiss her…

When the kiss is broken, and she steps away from him, it takes every ounce of his will power to remain still and not to draw her back to him and lose himself in the feel of her in his arms. The sheer pull of the gaze of her luminous blue eyes, the lingering taste of her lips on his, fill him with yearning he hasn't felt in ages. But he just stands there, looking at her, trying to calm his raged breathing.

As she turns around and walks away without a word, Sunny's gaze follows her until he can see her far away, getting into her car. Still, he doesn't move, rooted to the spot, torn between the desire to go after her and the paralyzing fear of losing her completely if he does.

For the next three day there is no opportunity for them to spend any time alone while at work, and Sunny can't decide if he is glad of this situation or not. As much as he wants to know where he stands with Cassie and if there is any chance for them at all, he isn't sure he is ready to learn the truth. A simple thought that she can easily turn everything that happened into a joke, terrifies him. From time to time he catches Cassie's eyes on him, and he, in turn, glances in her direction more than he's ever done before. And every night at home he spends debating with himself whether he should 'man up' and ring Cassie. She does it first.

When she opens the door, all the doubts Sunny's being struggling with for the last several days are instantaneously on the forefront of his mind. Even in her simple grey vest and worn out jeans, she looks beautiful, and he wants to tell her that, but can't risk it. So, instead, he swallows and says, "Hi, I got Italian."

"Hi," she smiles and holds the door for him. "Come in."

"There is a salad, and ravioli, and spaghetti marinara," as he walks past her, he is making an effort to sound nonchalant. Like he comes to Cassie's house with a takeaway on a regular basis. Like he already knows what to do about the fact that he is in love with her, his boss, and may not be able to hide it for too long. Like she hasn't invited him for a conversation that may result in him losing her completely. "You like spaghetti marinara, don't you?"

"Great choice," she nods. "Let's go to the kitchen, I'm starving."

Sunny follows her through the house, keeping his eyes firmly on the back of her head, and not on any other part of her body. The effort alone makes him sweat, and he curses himself for agreeing to come. When she rang earlier, he knew it might be better for them to have the 'talk' somewhere on a neutral ground. But he couldn't say no to her. He rarely can. Sunny shifts the bags in his hands and sighs.

Once in the kitchen, Cassie points him to the counter, "You can put it here."

Sunny does as he is told and begins to take containers out of the bags and open them. Cassie moves around, setting up the plates, cutlery, and glasses.

"I have beer if you'd rather…" she offers, after putting a bottle of wine in the middle of the table.

She sounds almost hesitant. Is it possible she is as anxious as he is about their situation? Sunny glances at her, curious. Standing in her own kitchen, in the middle of setting up the table for a casual takeaway dinner with her long-time subordinate, she has to be feeling much more at ease than she appears. Suddenly, Sunny notices how small she actually is. With an expression of uncertainty on her face, out of her usual bulky jackets and oversized shirts, she looks tiny. Vulnerable. Sunny can't help but feel an overwhelming desire to hug her and protect her from everything and anything.

"Sunny?" Cassie's radiant blue eyes stare at him, and he struggles to drag his mind back to reality, where his arms aren't around her and she isn't clinging to him. "Umm, I'll have the wine."

It gets easier, when they sit down to eat. While they share a salad, she asks about his preparations for the trip to Mumbai, and for the most part Sunny manages to avoid talking about his mother's plans of setting him up. Instead, he complains about the list of requests that keeps getting larger as his departure date is approaching.

"I am afraid no luggage I have in my house is big enough to haul all that stuff," he shakes his head.

"Come on, Lancôme doesn't take much room," she snickers.

"Lan-what?"

They both are laughing now, recalling how last year before his trip he had to spend quite a bit of time buying makeup kits for a cousin's party at his great aunt's request.

"How do you get myself roped into these things?" he wonders, which sends Cassie into another fit of laughter. Seeing her happy, even at his expense, make Sunny forget for a while all his worries and fears about the real reason he's being invited to share a meal with her.

By the time they are midway through pasta, the first bottle of wine is gone.

"Another one?" she asks, and Sunny nods before he thinks the better of it. With Cassie smiling at him across the table, keeping his head clear is not a possibility anyway. Besides, what are the odds he will have another opportunity like this – to listen to her, to watch her laugh, to share a meal, like two adults who enjoy each other's company.

They clear the table together and work on the second bottle of wine, while finding new topics to talk about: the book, she's being trying to read, the show he took his girls to before their trip.

But inevitably there is a pause in their conversation, and they both realize that they have to get to the purpose of this dinner.

"So," Cassie starts, and Sunny feels like all the air has swooshed out of his lungs in one big rush. He chocks out, "Yes?"

"So," she repeats, twirling her empty wine glass in her fingers. "First, I have to tell you. I think… No, I know, you are a great guy. Amazing. Smart. Kind."

At once it is obvious to him where she is going. She doesn't have to continue. She does anyway.

"You are," she glances at him like as if he is about to argue. "But you and I… I don't think we should, Sunny," she takes a deep breath. "As much as I would like to try and explore this," she waves a hand between them, "there are going to be so many complications if it works, but much more if it doesn't."

She pauses, and Sunny murmurs, "Yes, of course".

"You are my partner, my DI, Sunny. We work great together," Cassie continues as if there is a need to prove her point. "I don't want to ruin it."

She is right, of course. She most often is. Only he feels gutted. No anticipation could've prepared him for this. His chest is so tight that now he has to make a conscious effort to inhale and exhale. Somehow, he manages a polite nod and a quiet 'understood.'

He then gets up, carefully deposits his wine glass into the sink, and says, "Good night, Cassie. I'll see you tomorrow."

She watches him with a slightly baffled expression on her lovely face, "Sunny?"

He turns away, because he feels that if he looks at her even for a moment longer, he may just drown in the blue depth of her eyes, and then he will break down and say something stupid. Or embarrass himself completely by begging her to change her mind.

Or tell her that he is actually in love with her and he is willing to take a risk…

He clears his throat and, force himself to glance at her, when he says, "I'll see myself out."

He can't hear anything but his own heart heavy pounding, as he walks through her house and out of the door.

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 **A/N** Thank you for reading and reviewing


	6. Chapter 6

6\. Cassie

Sunny looks so nervous, when she opens the door, that she catches herself on almost overwhelming desire to go to him, and give him a hug, and let him kiss her, all the talks be damned. But she doesn't. She smiles and ushers him into the house.

As she leads him to the kitchen, she can feel his eyes on the back of her head, and it makes her feel excited, and worried, and… No, not now, she shouldn't let her emotions get in the way, Cassie berates herself. They will eat, drink the wine, and have that 'talk' like two adults that they are. And then…

"I have beer, if you'd rather…" the look he gives her, halts her mid-sentence, and for the third time since Sunny came to her house she almost forgets about her resolve to adhere to the plan. Damn.

It gets better, when they sit down to eat. Once she finds something to tease him about, they are back on their normal grounds. The intensity of his gaze eases up, and for the time being she feels like she can relax and enjoy a simple chat over a nice meal.

But inevitably, the meal comes to the end, and so is the second bottle of wine, and the next lull in their conversation forces Cassie to address the true objective of their get-together. But whatever she's expected, or anticipated, or worried about has not included Sunny storming out of her house without so much as a single coherent reply.

"Sunny!" she calls out to him, but the only response she gets is a click of her front door closing.

Damn.

Cassie gets up, flops back down, and pushes her empty wine glass aside. What the hell? She gets up again and starts pacing. Doesn't he know what it means to have a talk? No wonder he can't get a decent date. What she has said to him is supposed to be a start of the conversation. He has to respond with something other than 'of course.' And he definitely can't just walk away!

Cassie paces some more, glancing at her mobile from time to time and muttering under her breath. After a while, she grabs her keys and heads out.

"Cassie?" He stands in his doorway with a bewildered expression on his face. "Umm…"

"May I come in?" She frowns at him. It takes him a long moment before, without a word, he nods and moves to the side to let her pass through.

Once the door is closed behind her, Cassie takes a deep breath and turns to face him. "What the hell, Sunny?'

He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out of it, so he closes it again.

"Sunny?" she can't properly define how she feels about this situation. She is angry, and frustrated, and upset. And she needs him not to be his usual reserved self. Right now she needs him to be…

"I don't…understand…" he starts, but seems not to know how to continue.

"I asked you to come for a talk," she points a finger at him. In a tiny hallway, it means she basically pokes it into Sunny's chest.

"I…" he pales slightly. It is surprising she notices, considering how dark his skin color is. "… am sorry," he finishes.

"Sorry?" comes out as a hiss. "Is that all?"

Dejected, Sunny stares at her. She stares back at him. Neither of them moves or says anything. To her it feels like this weird standoff continues forever. He is the one to break it at last. He looks down at her finger, still at his chest. Then, as his gaze travels up, it makes a brief stop at her mouth, before moving all the way back to her eyes. Now, there is an intensity in his gaze, which causes her to shiver and forget about the necessity of the 'talk' yet again. It also spurs her into action. She takes a small step forward, grabs a handful of Sunny's shirt, and kisses him. After a surprised 'oomph', he eagerly responds.

What has started as an impulse, really, almost instantaneously turns into a full-blown, lips-tongues-teeth feat, which has no uncertainty of their first attempt outside the pub only few days ago. The urgency of the kiss takes Cassie aback, but doesn't deter her. The taste of the wine on his tongue, the feel of his hands at her waist, the growling sounds that come from deep inside Sunny's chest all of it exhilarates her. Only the need for air forces Cassie to break this kiss, and she is trembling as she fills up her lungs with quick gasps.

Sunny is also struggling with his breathing. "Cassie, what are you…" his whisper trails off, as if he is unable to finish his questions, worried about uttering a wrong word or making a wrong move. He has dropped his hands away from her body the second the kiss is broken, and it appears like he doesn't really know what to do with them now. And there is an almost haunted look in his eyes.

Cassie stares at him, trapped in her own confusion, incapable for the moment of coming up with a proper response to Sunny's half-asked question, or formulating a complete thought for that matter. This standoff doesn't last nearly as long as the first one has. With her fingers still tangled in the fabric of his shirt, all it takes is a flicker of his eyes to her mouth and a soft tag of her hands, and her lips are on his, and their tongues are entwined, and his hands are back at her waist. Sunny groans and she whimpers.

This kiss not only takes her breath away figuratively and practically speaking, but makes her heart trash wildly in her chest. They both are growing bolder - his hands slide to her back, her body arches into his - and Cassie is glad she has at least his shirt to hold on to, because as they stumble about, she feels like she is losing her balance in more ways than one. All of a sudden, she starts worrying about her bra and knickers, and for the life of her she can't remember if they match. Or which ones she actually has on. And if it matters.

That is when the rational part of her brain decides to finally come out of the stupor. With an effort Cassie manages to unclench her fingers and release Sunny's shirt. She then places her hand on his chest, not exactly pushing him away, but putting a bit of a distance between them, "Wait…ah, stop," she chocks into his mouth and adds, "Please."

Sunny lets go of her and staggers half a step backwards, hitting the wall. "Cassie?" His palms are pressed to the wall, his chest raising and falling in what looks like a borderline hyperventilation, while his eyes are roaming her face as if searching for some clues. He looks as shaken as she feels. "Did I…" he tries and stops, then swallow hard and tries again, "Are you…"

Cassie struggle to stay focused. They are supposed to have the 'talk', she reminds herself sternly. They can't just jump into… this… whatever this is. They can't. They are two adults, who should be able to…

"Cassie?" the tone of his voice is pleading, aching. As if he is waiting for her to… what? Slap him? Laugh at him? Kiss him? Cassie knows she's being unfair. Unfair to Sunny, to herself, to this…whatever this is. Unfair and cruel. And she is never that. Not intentionally, anyway. That is why they need to have the bloody 'talk', mentally she kicks herself. They need to sit down, maybe have a drink, and figure out this…whatever this is.

Right. The 'talk'. She almost feels like patting herself on the back for how sensible she is.

Except for this sensibility of hers doesn't help, when she tries to step away from Sunny. She counts to three, tries again, but remains in place.

Maybe it's the hard thumping of Sunny's heart under her palm, still pressed to his chest. Maybe it's the look of pure longing barely disguised in his dark eyes. Maybe it's his lips, still inches away from hers, the lips that can make her feel like she hasn't felt in a long, long time. Whatever it is, she just remains there, rooted to the spot, until she can't stand it anymore.

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A/N Thank you for reading and reviewing


	7. Chapter 7

7.1. Sunny

By the time he gets home, he is no less distraught than the moment he's walked out of Cassie's kitchen. He knows he has no right to be. He knows he shouldn't have expected anything else. He knows she is right, she most often is, and he is foolish to… Sunny sighs. Standing in the middle of his own kitchen, he thinks that one day he will learn not to fall in love with women, who don't love him back. Or somehow he will learn not to fall in love... Or he will…

The sound of the doorbell interrupts his musings. He sighs once more and goes to open the door.

The sight of her, flushed with annoyance, makes his heart skip a beat. "Cassie?" he asks unnecessary and immediately berates himself for that. Of course, it is her. And even angry, she looks so beautiful that, instead of asking her to come in, he manages only an inane 'umm."

As she brushes past him walking through the door, Sunny has to steel himself for… Oh, hell's bells, he has no idea what it is he needs to steel himself for. The only thing he does know is that if he survives this evening with his sanity and dignity intact, it's going to be a bloody miracle. And, as an officer of the Metropolitan Police Service, he doesn't believe in miracles.

And so, he stands there, in the hallway of his house, struggling to understand what it is he has done that has gotten Cassie so angry. If he could only figure it out, he thinks, he would apologize for as long it takes to obtain her forgiveness. And then maybe, just maybe they can go back to pre-kiss, even pre-non-kiss status of their relationship…

Right, who is he kidding? Facing Cassie in the small hallway, her finger pointing at his chest and the stare of her luminous blue eyes digging into him, all he can think of is kissing her again.

And then, surprisingly, he does. And it's amazing. In fact, it is so amazing that he stops thinking altogether. Giving half a chance, his heart takes over his mind, and he surrenders to the sweet taste of her mixed with the tart taste of the wine on her tongue, and the warm feel of her skin under the soft fabric of the vest, and the trembling of her fingers on his chest, holding on to his shirt.

He comes to his senses only when the kiss is broken, and both of them gasping for air. And just as oxygen fills his lungs, the reality begins to sink in.

"Cassie, what are you…" As soon as the words are out, Sunny curses himself for attempting to ask the question. And he can't finish it. Meanwhile, the turmoil in her radiant blue stare keeps him suspended between a despair and a foolish hope.

But then they are kissing again. And it is even better than before. Now with her little whimpers, with the arching of her body, soft and pliant, into his, it seems that Cassie is encouraging him to be braver. Bolder. Sunny can't defy her. He rarely can. The sheer experience of having her finally, finally, in his arms like that, makes him lose his balance in more ways than one. As they stumble about the tiny hallway, Sunny begins to think that if he can get them to a wall, or any kind of hard surface, really, it would be easier to...

When he feels her hand on his chest, pushing him away, the reality once again comes crashing down on Sunny. It sends him staggering backwards, away from Cassie, as he attempts to put as much distance between them as possible. Unfortunately for Sunny, in the small hallway there isn't enough room for him to get far away. Almost immediately his back collides with the wall, he's being thinking about with so much anticipation just moments ago, and he is grateful for at least some support as he is trying not to hyperventilate.

He's overstepped, Sunny thinks in desperation. He's misread Cassie's intention, and now he is going to pay for it. He braces for her to…what? Slap him? Laugh at him? Curse him? "Cassie," he starts, fighting to suppress his yearning for her once again. He is ready to plead, to repent, but first he needs to know, "Did I…? Are you…?" He is searching her lovely face for some clues. "Cassie?"

It takes some time, but she surprises him again. Instead of an answer, she brings the hand, which has pushed him away, to cup his face. He is ridiculously glad that he's shaved before going to hers tonight. But the next moment he simply forgets to breath, when Cassie starts tracing his lips with her thumb.

"You are crap at talking, Sunny," she murmurs, her gaze follows the movement of her thumb. "Luckily for you," she adds with a lopsided grin, "you are an amazing kisser."

"I… What?" Incredulous, Sunny swallows hard and stares at her, with his jaw slightly slacked.

"Also, this is such an unbecoming look for you," she giggles. "I hope you don't use it on your Tinder dates."

The tip of her thumb is still on his bottom lip, her blue eyes shining at him with mirth, and Sunny feels like his world tilts on its axis and starts spinning in a new way. Still a bit shaky, he slowly separates himself from the wall. He then takes Cassie's hand away from his face, deliberately uncurls her fingers one after another, and presses her palm to his lips. Cassie stops giggling and watches him, her mouth agape. Without breaking the eye contact, he starts kissing her palm, his lips closed. After a short while, he continues his kisses with an open mouth and, finally, switches to tracing the lines on her palm with his tongue. Cassie's breathing hitches and restarts at a faster rate. Encouraged by that, Sunny moves her hand a little to kiss the heel of her palm. From there he trails light kisses to the pulse point, where his mouth lingers, while he watches her glancing between his lips and his eyes.

"Sunny," she breather out his name more like a whimper than the actual word. The blue of her radiant gaze has gotten darker, and he feels the staccato of her heartbeat under his lips is becoming erratic. "Sunny," she repeats, and, barely breathing, he can't stop looking at her, waiting for her to tell him…what? To stop? To leave her alone?...To never let her go? Bloody hell.

Through the haze of his longing for her he wonders vaguely how it is possible this petite woman, whose slight wrist trembles in his hands, the woman he's being working with for years, following her around, sharing meals and car rides, suddenly has him completely under her spell. Is it that sudden? How long has this being going on with him none the wiser? No one ever has had so much power over him. To no one ever he has wanted to relinquish so much power.

"Cassie," Sunny whispers into her skin. "Please, tell me if you want me to stop." She needs to know they will be only whatever it is she wants them to be. For as long as she wants them to be. Regardless of the cost to him.

In the meantime, he just prays he won't blurt out that he loves her.

"I…uh," she puts her free hand on his shoulder, "I still think…" He doesn't have as much resolve as he thinks he has, because he seems to unable to stop kissing her soft skin while she speaks, "…we need to uh…talk…" she stutters and looks a little surprised that she has actually succeeded in getting out the whole sentence.

"Talk," he repeats softly after her. Alright. He can do that. He can talk. Probably. It takes an effort, but with the utmost care and concentration he manages to let go of her wrist.

"Later. We will talk later…" she catches his hand. Her mouth quirks, as if she isn't sure whether she should smile. "And I don't want you to stop," she finishes, her warm eyes are almost pleading, and at this moment Sunny thinks he might understands the true meaning of the word rapture.

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A/N Thank you for reading and reviewing.


	8. Chapter 8

7.2. Sunny

For a few long seconds he can't move, he can't think, he can't breathe - Cassie is here, and he's given the leave to look at her, to touch her, to kiss her…

And then she whispers, "Sunny…"

Slowly, his heart pounding in his throat, he gets a hold of her hand again and strokes the inside of her wrist with his fingertips. Then, he brings it to his lips and starts placing light kisses, beginning at the pulse point, going up, all the way to the inside of the elbow. He spends some time there, nipping and licking, closely watching Cassie's face.

"Oh, god," she murmurs in between the shallow rapid breath intakes, "…oh my god…" She is looking at him with a mixture of incredulity and, what he hopes, yearning. Her cheeks are flushed and the blue irises of her eyes are impossibly dark now. She is so incredibly beautiful that Sunny has to close his eyes so he can commit to memory the image of her at this exact moment.

"Sunny…" He opens his eyes, when she slides her hand, which has been resting on his shoulder, to the back of his head.

He tries to say something, but doesn't, once again worried about letting out too much. Instead, holding her gaze, he starts trailing light kisses down her hand, back to the wrist, and, after a short stop at the pulse point, he places an open-mouth kiss in the middle of her palm. Cassie inhales sharply. He then guides her hand to his chest, presses her palm the over his heart, and covers her hand with his.

"Oh," Cassie whisper. She stares at him, barely breathing.

Sunny brings his other hand, which is shaking a little, to her face and lightly strokes her cheek with the tips of his fingers. He doesn't want to rush it. He wants to do it right. He wants to make sure there is no doubt in her mind he isn't in it for just a casual snog. And, if anything happens between them, it is never going to be just a casual shag for him.

He runs his fingers through her hair, enjoying its softness, then moves his hand further to cradle her head. Cassie shifts slightly forward just as he leans in. However, he isn't going for an actual kiss right away. At first, he lightly brushes her lips with his, then traces the contour of her mouth with gentle caress of his lips. He pauses, pulls away, putting a bit of distance between their faces, and looks at her. They are still close enough for their breaths to mix, but he wants to give her one more chance. And he needs to give himself a chance.

All it takes is her quiet whisper 'Sunny', and they are kissing again. This time it is very slow and tender. It is, in fact, many kisses, one seamlessly rolling into the next one, lips and tongues caressing, teasing, tasting. For once, Cassie seems to follow his lead, and Sunny takes the opportunity to have them both slow down, to allow them both to be drawn into it consciously, to let them both surrender to the possibility of truly enjoying together this…whatever this can be…. Now, when the initial shock of being allowed to kiss her has somewhat dissipated, with what little brain power still under his control, Sunny berates himself for thinking of the wall just a few minutes ago. He can do so much better for her. She deserves so much better.

Gradually, the intensity of their kissing increases, and with that the hands begin wandering over each other bodies, the lips move away from lips to explore, the feet shuffle in response to the instinctive attempts to get closer. Cassie lets him set the rhythm and the mood of this subtle dance, and Sunny tries to make certain that his every touch, every kiss, every stroke counts and elicits a sigh, a whimper, or a soft moan from her.

He nips and kisses, and licks the hot lines down the column of her throat, when she, shuffling in response to the onslaught of his mouth, trips over a jacket they've dislodged from the hook. Sunny catches her as she loses her balance. Holding Cassie in his arms, he quickly makes a decision and practically carries her into the living room. Once there, he maneuvers them to the couch. He means to sit them both down, but with his mind in a full 'I have Cassie in my arms' delirium, their hands, and lips, and tongues, happily occupied, Sunny misjudges his balancing ability and they kind of collapse together, limbs tangled, in one heap. He ends up on his side, his back pressed to the back of the couch, Cassie is barely on the edge, held by his arms. He quickly pulls her closer, and, without interrupting their kissing, they rearrange themselves - Sunny's thigh is in between her legs, she is on her side, her body pressed tightly to his. He touches her thigh and motions her to move it over his hip. When obediently she does, they are so impossibly close that Sunny's heart rate reaches dangerous levels and he almost forgets about making this…whatever this is slow and deliberate…

They are too far gone to hear the phone's first ring, but both of them are on alert at the second one. After a few frantic seconds of trying to figure out whose mobile is ringing and where it is, Cassie fishes hers out of the back pocket, "Dad? What is it? Are you alright?"

They untangle their bodies and limbs, so she can sit up, while she listens. "Tell me you didn't… Come on, dad… And then what?.. And?" Sunny also sits up to, watching her, trying to guess the other side of the conversation.

"Dad, you know I have no authority there. Where is it again?" Cassie gets up and starts pacing. "Ok, I will deal with Celia. And the bill. Yes, yes, I'll take care of it. Text me the details. Don't worry about it. I will let you know as soon as it's done. Just go to your hotel and try not to get into any more trouble tonight."

"I am sorry, Sunny, but I have to…" she sighs, looks at him, then at herself, and starts straightening up her clothes as she continues, "My dad and his mates got themselves into some trouble, and I need to go get it all sorted."

"Are they alright? Is there anything I can do?" Sunny gets up too.

"No, thank you, I…" she runs her hand through her hear, and, mesmerized, he watches the soft strands, tousled by his fervent attention a short while ago, fall around her beautiful face. She is breathtaking, Sunny thinks, messed up clothes, ruffled hair, chaffed lips and all, and he has to fight the urge to take her hand and draw her to him, and tell her… No, he can't. He shouldn't. And so he listens to Cassie, who continues to straighten her clothes and fix her hair, then checks her phone and moves to the hallway as she speaks, "Alan…my dad's mate, drove the car into a ditch. Somewhere outside York. They were all fine, but instead of waiting for tow, they decided to try and get it out themselves. So now the car needs fixing and Will, another dad's mate, pulled something in his back. To drown their sorrows, they went to a pub, where they had a bit too much to drink and got into it with some local lads."

"Oh," Sunny tries not to smile. "At least you can say they are still young. At heart."

Cassie glances at him, and they both grin.

"You know between dealing with local police, the pub owner, helping them rearrange their hotel bookings and so on, what I am not looking forward to the most is a conversation with Celia."

"Who is Celia?"

"Alan's wife. They are all terrified of her, so my dad volunteered me to ring her to let her know about the car and the rest of it."

"Good luck with that, I guess," he smiles. "But as for anything else… Would you like me to deal with it, guv?"

"No, no, Sunny," Cassie smiles back at him, "this is not a case. I'll deal with it myself."

He shrugs with as much nonchalance as he can muster. To be honest, he'd deal with anything, including a crazy wife of her dad's friend, if that would keep Cassie in his house for a little longer.

"I am sorry, Sunny," she tells him at the door. "For leaving you like this, in the middle of…" she blushes a little, making a vague circle with her hand. It looks like she finds it hard to define what exactly her dad's request has interrupted. "I wasn't expecting..." she pointedly frowns at her mobile, "Worse than the kids, honesty..."

He forces a smile, "I haven't heard such an elaborate excuse to get out of a date with me yet. So, I have to believe your story is true."

"Was this a date?" she glances quickly at him, smirking.

Shit, has he said 'date'? "Umm…no?"

She laughs. "I'll see you tomorrow." She gives him a quick peck on the cheek and walks out.

Sunny watches her get in her car and drive off. So, was it a date?

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A/N Thank you for reading and reviewing


	9. Chapter 9

8.1. Cassie

It is late, when she is done sorting out the unfortunate consequences of her father and his mates' adventures, including listening for what feels like forever to Celia's rant. And then she is up at an ungodly hour in the morning to catch before work the police office, who had a dubious pleasure of breaking up a brawl between the four seventy-plus-year-olds and local lads. It takes some persuading, but at the end the officer agrees not to turn a case of stupidity into an actual full-blown police case. There are going to be some property damage charges, and an apology tour, and the four heroes will never be able to set foot in the local pub, but other than that they will wait for a day for their car to be fixed and will be on their way out, never to return.

As a result, she is late to work, has to skip stopping by the office and to go directly to the morning briefing at the headquarters. She spends the time there dozing on and off and barely registering the meeting's discussion. On the way to the office, Cassie checks her messages, and there it is, the one message she fears and anticipates the most.

 _Good morning. Is everything alright? Do you need help with your father?_

So bloody typical of him! No, she doesn't need his help, but thank you very much for the offer.

And no, nothing is alright.

Cassie takes a deep breath, but it doesn't help. Nothing does, really. She can't even define the 'alright' at this point. Is it 'alright', when she can't stop thinking about Sunny's hands and how amazing they felt sliding up and down her body?! Is it 'alright', when she can't stop imagining his lips on hers and how their mere brush would send her heart racing?! Is it 'alright', when she can't stop wishing for Sunny's arms holding her, protecting her…? Really, from whom does she need a bloody protection?

Cassie takes another deep breath. Is it 'alright', when all through the night she has to fight the urge to stop pretending that she is asleep and go back to his house?!

Who would have thought? Sunny bloody Khan!

Cassie thinks about facing him in the office, swears under her breath, finds the nearest restroom, and stomps in. Thankfully, it is empty, so she splashes some cold water on her face and glowers freely at her reflection in the mirror. She has to get a grip, she tells herself firmly, she has to… And yet as her own reflection stares back at her, she suddenly wonders what would have happened last night were it not for her father's call. How far things would've progressed? She knows Sunny would've stopped at any point she told him to. So how far would _she_ let this… whatever it is…go?

Cassie dabs some cold water on her neck and thinks with incredulity that only yesterday she believed that all they need to do was to have a 'talk.'

"DCI Stewart?" one of her new junior officers walks in. Cassie struggles to remember the girl's name, so has to go without, "Give us a minute, will you?"

"I am sorry," the girl nods, shifts the folders in her arms, and leans on the nearby sink, looking at Cassie.

"A minute?!" Cassie growls. The girl gulps and all but flees the restroom. At least I am still in control of some things, Cassie savagely nods to her reflection in the mirror.

The moment of triumph passes quickly, though, and so she sighs and splashes more cold water on her face. It is going to be a bloody miracle, if she manages to survive this day with her sanity and the respect of her co-workers intact. But, as an officer of the Metropolitan Police Service, Cassie Stuart doesn't believe in miracles…

By the time she leaves the restroom, Cassie feels more composed. She also remembers the name of the girl. Which is fortunate, because the girl is there, waiting for her in the hallway.

"Yes, Kaylee?" she looks at her expectantly. "What was so urgent?"

"It wasn't, I am sorry," the girl blushes. "I just… I saw you and…"

"Kaylee," Cassie interrupts the girl and offers her a smile. "Why don't you take a breath and try again."

"Well," Kaylee nods, "they asked me to deliver the secondment forms to you. So…" She proffers a bunch of files to Cassie, but stops mid-motion realizing that Cassie's arms are full with her jacket and her own set of files.

Cassie's smile gets wider. "Come on, they asked you to deliver, then do." She motions the girl to follow her.

As they walk, Cassie continues, "Is it for the last week's drug bust?"

"Yes, the Edinburgh branch needs some extra boots on the ground to knock on doors, look through reports and such," the girl chatters, happy to finally be useful. "They are borrowing people from anywhere they can."

"So, who are the lucky ones from our department?" Cassie asks.

As they walk, Kaylee quickly leafs through her folders. "DC Jordan, DS Webber, and DI Khan."

"Sunny?" Cassie stumbles, but quickly rights herself, pretending that her shoe has gotten caught in the carpet. "Why him? His holidays start this Saturday."

Kaylee shrugs and then adds with a bit of a snicker. "Apparently, DCI Rodriquez specifically requested him."

"She did, didn't she," Cassie murmurs under her breath.

Kaylee snorts, but swallows her mirth quickly under Cassie disapproving glance. "Um…"

DCI Rodriquez, or Rosie, spent about a week in London last October, chasing the tail of a drug lord with Scotland connections. There was something between her and Sunny then, Cassie was sure of it, but she has never asked, and Sunny, a gentleman that he is, has never told her.

"Do you know when they are going?"

"They all have left already. There was a briefing early in the morning, while you were at the headquarters and…" the girl goes on, explaining, but Cassie doesn't listen any longer. She tries to decide if she is relived that she is not going to face Sunny until the end of the week. Wait a second, most likely she is not going to see him until he comes back from India.

After Rosie.

After his mother's relentless two-week long setup campaign.

Suddenly, she feels like she needs another restroom break.

Cassie dumps her jacket and the files, she is carrying, into Kaylee's arms, "Please, take it to my office. I need to make a call." She dives into her messenger bag as if in search of the mobile, and waits until the girl turns the hallway corner.

The restroom she finds is crowded, so Cassie washes her hands, nods to a couple of women, and walks out. And that is when he rings her.

"Sunny."

"Boss," he pauses, "How are you?"

"Great, just great. You?"

"Packing for Edinburgh. Our flight is in a couple of hours."

The next bit comes before Cassie actually thinks properly about it, "You could've got out of that secondment, you know…"

"Yes, but…" Sunny sighs, and she curses herself for sounding…what? Too upset? Too eager? Too involved? Damn. Meanwhile, he continues, "They wanted a more senior officer. Andy's kid is sick, and Valerie…"

"Sunny, it's fine," it is fine, she thinks, there is a job, and it needs to be done. "It is a job."

"Right. Cassie, look, I…" he pauses, "I wanted to ask you." She waits, suddenly worried. "Out. On a proper date. Like a dinner, or drinks… Or… That is if you would like to," Sunny manages to finish.

She leans on the wall and swallows.

"Cassie?" he asks quietly.

"You haven't asked yet," she says, knowing that her stalling isn't going to buy her much time.

"Right. Cassie, would you like to go to dinner with me?" he asks and adds, "As a date?"

Would she?

"We can talk. I mean, eat and talk. You wanted to talk, didn't you?" he begins to sound nervous.

"Sunny, you are in Edinburgh for the rest of the week and then you are going to Mumbai on Monday…" Is it what she wants? A date?

"I will have time on Sunday. Look, I am back Friday night, and I do have to go round my uncles and aunts all day Saturday. Most likely until very late. But Sunday..."

"So, you are squeezing me in?" she snorts. Between Rosie and all the Indian beauties, she adds inwardly.

"I know you usually go to your sister's on Sundays," Sunny continues undeterred, "but I thought…we could…meet. If not for dinner, maybe… for lunch? Or coffee? Or…"

"Oh, it's me, who will do the squeezing?"

"Cassie…"

The way he softly utters her name makes her shiver. Instantly she is transported to the events of last night, and she can almost feel his lips on her skin. Her interest in teasing him all but evaporates, so she clears her throat and with all the conviction she can muster at the moment tells him, "Sunny, you need to pack and go to the airport, and I need to work. Why don't we discuss this," she isn't sure she is ready to say the word 'date', "later?"

"Alright, I'll call you tonight."

"Bye, Sunny, have a nice flight."

"Bye, I'll talk you later."

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A/N Thank you for reading and reviewing


	10. Chapter 10

8.2 Cassie

It is actually her good luck that Sunny's secondment has taken him away from the office, Cassie realizes. She can barely concentrate as it is. The scenes from last night at Sunny's place keep popping up on the forefront of her mind, making her skin flush, and she can't take any more restroom breaks for the fear of people noticing that there is something wrong with her.

The case they have in the works has being solved, and now all that needs to be done is to properly catalogue the evidence, write all the required reports, and prepare materials for the court. All of it demands a full concentration and a scrupulous attention to detail, and Cassie lacks on both counts today.

At least she gets to go home at reasonable hour, and after a quick sandwich and a brief update from Andrew and Adam, she falls asleep on the couch, while attempting to watch the nightly news.

She is awoken by her ringing mobile. "Hi Sunny."

"Hi. Did I wake you?"

"Umm," she rubs her eyes, "No. Yes…"

"Yeah, I'm guessing it was a yes," even over the phone Cassie can tell he is smiling. Unexpectedly, that makes her feel sad. She sits bolt upright, her eyes wide open – she can't miss him already. Can she?

"So, how is Edinburgh?" she asks quickly, refusing to dwell on her unexpected discovery.

"Rainy. Cold. How is London?"

"Didn't see much of it today. You know, paperwork and all."

"Right, right. Look, I wanted to give you a ring, because I said I would, but…" he pauses, and Cassie can hear muffled voices and laughter in the background.

"Where are you?" she asks and berates herself right away, because it is none of her business. The next moment, though, she berates herself for berating herself, because it is just a question. She is allowed to ask questions now and again, isn't she?

"Um… a pub," he answers, and then goes on to explain, "There is a lad in the department, who turned thirty today. They all were going out, so we kind of got invited." For some reason Sunny sounds apologetic.

"Blimey," she smiles, "that is great. Fun. Long day for you, old man."

"Well, yes… Old man?" Sunny starts and stops, probably realizing that she is teasing him. "Look, I…" There is another burst of laughter and now Cassie can also hear a band playing on the background.

"Sunny, go, enjoy yourself. We will talk later," she tells him, baffled by the twinge of disappointment.

"Alright, guv, I'll ring you tomorrow. Good night."

"Night," she says before disconnecting the call. She puts the mobile down and looks around. Her house is dark and quiet, except for a soft babbling of a nature programme on the telly she's not turned off yet…

As tired as she is, she can't fall asleep for hours. For some reason she keeps imagining Sunny tucked into a small booth next to DCI Rodriguez, well Rosie, talking, drinking his pint, smiling, and that bothers her. A lot. And the fact that it bothers her, bothers her even more.

As a result, she has to survive the next day on a very few hours of sleep, and once again, when she gets home, she has a quick chat with her dad and practically passes out on the couch in front of the telly.

"Did I wake you up again, guv?" Sunny asks, when she picks up the mobile, just before the call is about to go to voicemail.

"No…yes," she really needs to stop this habit of falling asleep on the couch.

"Are you alright?" Sunny's voice is soft. He is worried, and that makes her realize yet again how much she actually misses him. That won't do, she frowns, that won't do at all.

"Sunny, I am fine. Tired, that is all," she tells him firmly.

"Right, look, Cassie, I wanted to see if I can ring you later…"

"Later?" She squints at the clock.

"Yes, I am going for a bite to eat with Rosie, um…DCI Rodriguez, and…"

As he trails off, Cassie has to fight off the images that kept on swirling in her mind last night and suddenly become even more vivid now – Sunny and DCI Rodriguez in a small booth, talking, smiling…

"We wanted to go over new details on the case, and we need to eat, so…" Sunny continues to explain.

"No problem, no problem. We'll talk another time," she quickly tells him, absolutely refusing to be upset.

Sunny, as if sensing her discomfort, switches gears, "You sure you are alright, Cassie? I can ring you in a couple of hours. Around ten, maybe?"

"Sunny, I want to turn in early today, so… No problem, we will talk…" she hopes she doesn't sound like she is trying too hard. She chews on her lip and finishes, "tomorrow. When you have time. Good night, Sunny."

She disconnects the call as soon as she hears his reluctant 'good night' and drops the mobile as if it burns her hand. Damn, that is exactly what she was worried about, when the possibility of this… whatever it is between Sunny and she… first has come up. That and a million of other things. And now it is becoming a reality – she can't concentrate, he feels obligated, she wants him to take initiative, he looks at her as his superior, she tries to be nonchalant, he… Damn, and nothing has really even happened yet! The image of his lips trailing hot kisses up her hand flashes in front of her eyes and sends her heart racing. Cassie swears under her breath, jumps up from the couch, and goes to the kitchen in search of some wine.

After the first glass, she acknowledges that she has a problem. Or, rather Sunny and she have a problem. The way his dark eyes pinned her to the spot, as he was kissing her palm, was not the way men would look at her, when they were after a quick, well, anything.

Her hands shaking slightly, Cassie pours herself the second glass and hastily takes a sip. This… whatever this is Sunny and she has started… jeopardizes their relationship. For years working with Sunny has being easy. Convenient. Comfortable. Maybe comfortable isn't exactly a word to describe the working relationships. Sounds more like a pair of boots. Or a chair. Or a couch. Sunny's couch was extremely comfortable, and even with his not inconsiderable bulk next to her, there was enough room to maneuver their various body parts to touch, and rub, and cares just the right way. The felling of Sunny's thumb stroking her nipple through the fabric of the bra… his hand almost scorching the bare skin of her back… her leg, quivering with impatience, hooked over his waist, drawing him closer… Cassie swallows hard and shakes her head in a futile attempt to clear it. Her mouth suddenly too dry, she quickly gulps the rest of the second glass, looks around her kitchen, and swears.

After a quick debate with herself, Cassie goes for the third glass. It is ill-advised in the middle of the workweek, and she knows she will be paying for it tomorrow, but the night seems to call for an extra fortification. Or oblivion. She'd take either. Because, if Cassie is completely truthful with herself, and she usually is, she is the one, who's created this… whatever this is between Sunny and her. Of course, it is his thwarted attempt at kissing her that has started this whole thing months ago, and Sunny is an extremely willing participant. Still, she knows if it were not for her acquiescence … "I don't want you to stop," she told him that night, captivated by his pleading gaze, by his burning touch, by his all-consuming kisses. And maybe, just maybe, to some degree, by her own yearning. Cassie groans and takes a big gulp of wine. Now he wants to date her. Sunny bloody Khan. Her DI. Her partner. Her friend. The father of two awesome girls, he doesn't know how to parent. The guy, who has been trying to find a girlfriend anywhere, including Tinder… The guy, whom she seems to unable to resist in close proximity. Damn. This has a catastrophe written all over it, and she needs to figure out what it is that _she_ wants.

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A/N Thank you for reading and reviewing


	11. Chapter 11

**9.1 Sunny**

"…and then she said that our girls were very pretty. And your auntie said…" Sunny pretends to listen to his mother talk. He isn't sure that he is succeeding. It is his last night in London, and all he can think about is how he hasn't seen Cassie for almost a week and will not see her for another two. And how much he actually wants to see her.

"…and when I talked to Patels, they invited us all to come for dinner, next Friday. You did buy a gift for them, didn't you, Sunil?" His mother's face on the computer screen frowns at him.

Sunny has stopped trying to explain to her that most of the purchases could be made right there, in Mumbai, no need to drag everything from London. And so, he simply answers, "Yes, mother." He is not in the mood to talk. He wants to see Cassie.

"What about Agarwals?

"Yes, I bought everything you asked me to. Whatever was on your list." He misses her. A lot. Even before he's realized that he was in love with Cassie, he used to miss her over the long weekends and their respective holidays. Now, since he's had a chance to hold her in his arms, taste her lips, her skin, to see the luminous blue of her eyes shine with want at him, the missing has morphed into a dull ache, and Sunny doesn't know what to do about it. He is thinking of stopping by the office tomorrow on his way to the airport. He hasn't come up with a plausible excuse for that yet.

"What about the football that Aman wanted, you found it, yes? The boy keeps asking about it," his mother plows on.

"Yes, mother, I got it. No problem." Since he has gone to Edinburgh, Cassie and he have barely even talked on the phone, and when they had, he could sense her unease. He is afraid that she's trying to distance herself from him, from what transpired between them that night in his house, from the possibility of this… whatever this is they has started. He keeps thinking that maybe he has made some crucial mistake with Cassie, overstepped, overcommitted, over…something…

"And the scarf for that team, it is red, I think, you know which one…"

"Mother, I have it. And yes, I packed it." When at the time of his leaving for Edinburgh, he asked Cassie for a date, he meant to put this…whatever this is between them… on a proper footing. He wanted to show her how they can be more than just co-workers and much more than just two people in a need of a shag. He wanted to prove to her that he can be her choice, because she definitely was his. He wanted… Sunny utters a deep sigh, completely forgetting about the conversation he is having with his mother.

"Sunil," his mother looks at him so that even through the computer screen Sunny can feel her disapproval. "It is important that you come prepared. You may not care, but I do. I want to look good in front of our friends and family."

With an effort he pulls himself from his reverie and says, "I apologize, mother. I understand." And as his mother takes a moment to check her list, he is back to thinking about Cassie.

When he brought the subject of the date for the second time, she laughed, "You are so persistent, I am beginning to believe you do like me, Sunny." I love you, he almost said, swallowing the words at the last moment. "But I can't. This Sunday is a big one – my dad just came back, the whole family will be at my sister's..."

"Did I tell you to bring the blue jacket we bought for you last summer? You also need an extra pair of light slacks…"

Once again Sunny has to drag his mind back to the conversation he is having with his mother, as she continues checking his readiness for the trip. "Yes, mother, I have everything," he says for the umpteen time in the last half an hour. What if he gets in the car now and drives to Cassie's house? He will wait for her till she gets home and then what? What will he say? What will he do? Sunny tries not to sigh too obviously. For the first time ever, he actually is not looking forward to his trip to Mumbai, but there is no reason to divulge this kind of information to his mother.

The doorbell sounds like a path to freedom, which he eagerly grabs. "Someone is at the door, mother. I have to go."

"Who can it be at this time of the night, Sunil?" she looks at him with suspicion.

"It is not too late here," he shrugs, somewhat surprised himself. However, at this point he'll take anything over another minute of this torturous list checking. "I will see you tomorrow."

"Call us, when you board the plan."

"Alright. Good night." He reaches for the keyboard to disconnect the call.

"And check everything…" his mother starts, while the rest of her words are drowned by the sound of another doorbell.

"Mother, I have to go," he gestured toward the hallway, "Good night."

"Good night. We love you," she finally concedes the defeat.

"Love you too. Tell the girls…" the screen goes blank in the middle of his sentence. "… that I love them," Sunny finishes anyway and goes to open the door.

When he does, for a moment he is frozen in shock.

"Did I wake you?" Cassie is smiling at him.

"Umm…no," he blinks slowly, half expecting her to disappear or himself to indeed wake up.

"Having a farewell party I wasn't invited to?" still smiling she pretends to try to look behind him, inside the house.

Somehow, he manages to shake off the stupor enough to step aside and let her in. "I was talking to my parents."

"Oh, sorry I interrupted." She doesn't sound all that contrite.

Sunny manages a lopsided smile as she passes him by, "Don't be. I should be thanking you."

"That bad?"

He shrugs and realizes two things at once. First, he is ridiculously happy to see her. Whatever reason has brought her to his place, he is immensely grateful. And the other thing, there are two of them once again sharing the small space of his hallway, and the last time they were here was the time, when… With an effort Sunny manages to halt that particular train of thought. Which is an achievement, because in the four days that he's spent in Edinburgh and in the two days that he's just spent at home, it is an absurd how many times he's pondered over every moment of that night, when Cassie let him… Bloody hell…

"You said you were going to your sister's…" he starts and trails off, too worried about letting something unintended slip out.

"I did. I went. But…I wanted to stop by and…" she hesitates, and suddenly Sunny feels how his heartrate jumps from normal to unhealthy in a split of a second. "…wish you nice holidays…"

"Thank you," he mumbles after a pause, not really trusting himself to speak.

"My brother is taking dad home, and you were on my way…" her luminous blue eyes shine at him with a bit of mischief, and he can't stop staring at her.

Apparently, he has had no idea what the unhealthy heartrate feels like, because at this point it has accelerated some more - as far as he knows his house nowhere near the route between Cassie's sister's and her own place. As casually as he can manage, Sunny leans against the wall to make sure that, if he is not misreading Cassie completely, he is still standing, when she tells him that she is willing to give this…whatever this is between them… a try. After a moment Sunny swallows and leans a little harder, because if he is misreading her completely, he also wants to remain upright after she tells him that this…whatever this is between them… has to stop.

Meanwhile, bouncing on the balls her feet, Cassie sticks her hands in her jeans' pockets and asks, "So, do you need help with packing or something?"

Packing? Sunny's brain takes a little too long to process the question.

"Sunny?" her smile slows down his ability to think even further.

You are so beautiful, an inconsequential thought comes to his mind in lieu of the answer, but somehow out loud he offers, "Umm, thank you, I think I can manage." And finally remembering he is supposed to be at least a gracious host, continues with, "Come, let me show you…"


	12. Chapter 12

**9.2. Sunny**

They walk into his living room, where Cassie gasps in surprise. "Damn, Sunny!"

As he watches her, wide-eyed Cassie surveys the room. Standing to the side, there are two enormous suitcases that look like they are about to burst at the seams from all that is crammed inside. Another two similar size suitcases, still open in the middle of the floor, are buried under the small mountains of packages, and full shopping bags, and pieces of clothing. There are some plastic bags and boxes, lying around, and a small, carry-on size suitcase, open and half-empty.

"How are you going to get it all to the airport?" carefully not to step on anything, she walks to one of the standing suitcases, which beats her if not in height, but definitely in weight. "And on and off the plane?"

"I have a plan," he shrugs, "I've being doing this for years."

Looking around the room, Cassie laughs, "I like a man with the plan."

I love you, Sunny thinks, unable to take his eyes off of her. Once he saw her out of her usual casual wear. A couple of years ago they both had to attend some interdepartmental black-tie event, and there she was - a silver silk dress, high heels, hair and make-up done. Breathtaking, he thought then. And, of course, Cassie noticed him staring and proceeded to tease him for the rest of the night about the power of women in heels, and how his daughters, when they learn it, would truly walk all over him.

But now, in her usual plaid shirt over a simple vest, coupled with a pair of worn-out jeans and finished with converses, she still looks stunning to his eyes. He knows she doesn't need heels to have the power to walk all over him.

"Next time I am packing for the holidays," she continues in the meantime, "you are the first on my list to call." Her gaze roams around the room until it reaches him. And halts.

Realizing that he's been caught, helplessly Sunny smiles at her, "Would you like some tea? Wine?"

"Sunny, I just spent the afternoon eating and drinking." Watching her steps in a sea of soon-to-be luggage, she carefully makes her way back to him. "You should see how much food my family can cook and consume."

"Of course…" he utters lamely.

"But I thought…" she starts, glances at him, and then away, "Never mind. It looks like you are very busy, and I should get going and let you…"

"No, no, I'm not busy," Sunny doesn't let her finish. "You don't have to leave." Cassie is looking at him now, and with the courage, or foolishness, that comes out of desperation, he steps closer to her. "Please, stay." Please.

"Sunny." Her voice is soft, and his heart truly begins to race. He desperately wants her to stay. And also, he wants to, no, he needs to know what it is that has brought her here in the first place.

"Cassie," there is no wall or anything else for him to lean on, but the blue radiance of her eyes draws Sunny in, and he takes the plunge, "you haven't come only to wish me nice holidays, have you?"

"No."

She looks at him in such a way that, not quite believing his own audacity, he takes another small step towards her. "And you did not come for tea…"

They are so close now that he feels the puff of her soft "no" on his skin.

Somewhere on the back of his mind there is a though that he should probably go for a bit more clarification, but at the moment Sunny's body seems to acquire a mind of its own, and next thing he knows he is leaning in and brushing his lips against Cassie's. In response, she slips her arms around his shoulders and pulls him closer. The light touch of the lips sends shiver through his spine, and Cassie's reaction gets his heartrate to accelerate once again. Between the two of them, they quickly turn his cautious attempt into a real kiss, and Sunny is a lost man.

Oh, how he has missed this, kissing her, hearing her soft whimpers, feeling her warmth under his fingertips. All his memories that he's survived on for the past six days, are nothing in comparison to the real thing. In less than his one accelerated heartbeat, he is completely drunk on the taste of her mouth, and the thought of all the possibilities that tonight can bring threatens to overwhelm him. Cassie seems to be in a similar state, judging by the way her body practically bows into his, and her hands, sliding up and down his back at first, now clasp around his neck, like that is the only way she can keep herself upright.

One kiss flows into another, and then one more, with brief breaks in between that are just long enough for a raged breath or two, before the lips are back on lips, and the tongues are intertwined once again. When the need for air becomes too great, Sunny uses the respite to drag his lips along her jaw line, and then lower, down the colon of her neck, nipping and tasting her skin. Cassie, her eyes closed, her breathing fast and shallow, tilts her head back for easier access, and then, when he finds a sensitive spot to lick, somewhere on the juncture between her neck and the collar bone, she moans. Suddenly, with a very little brain power that is still under his control, Sunny realizes that if they don't move now, there is a very good chance they'll end up on the floor, in the piles of his would-be luggage.

And yet, with the fingers of his right hand tangled in Cassie's soft hair, his left hand on the small of her back, deep under her vest, and his lips on her skin, he can't imagine losing any of these points of contact even for a moment. And so, blindly, he takes a step backwards in the general direction of the couch. With a slight nudge he prompts Cassie to follow. When she does, Sunny takes another blind step, and his foot catches in a bag. The bag squeaks loudly.

The unexpectedness on the sound makes both of them freeze. Then Cassie slowly opens her eyes and looks at him. He swallows hard and detaches his lips from her neck. There is a moment of complete stillness, before Cassie snorts. "What do you have there? A rubber ducky?"

Sunny's brain takes a while to engage. He stares at Cassie, simultaneously trying to process her reaction and to actually formulate an answer to her questions.

"It's a giraffe." He finally says with a lopsided smile, and then adds needlessly. "I think."

Cassie bites her lip in a visible attempt to curb a laugh. And fails.

It starts with a short giggle, but as Sunny keep staring at her in confusion, Cassie goes into a full laughing mode, which lasts for a couple of minutes. "A giraffe," she sobs, between the bursts of laughter, "Not a ducky." Soon, breathless, she is practically crying into Sunny's shoulder. "A rubber giraffe… not a ducky…"

Sunny watches her, and his own smile gets bigger. He decides that he doesn't' care why she'd find an identity of a squeaky toy to be so funny. Whatever makes Cassie laugh is fine by him. And when she starts to come downs, he holds her, gently rubbing her back. His nose pressed into the top of her head, he inhales a lungful of the faint fruity smell of her shampoo, and a bit of a smoke from her sister's barbeque, and, underneath it all, her own unique scent. And suddenly he feels how the warm wave of tenderness washes over him. For the moment it pushes aside his desire and his yearning for her and leaves him with an overwhelming need to make her happy. Any way he possibly can. For as long as she would allow him.

When, finally, calm, Cassie raises her head from his shoulder to look at him, the sparkles of laughter still dancing in the warm blue of her eyes, Sunny almost chocks. Quickly he looks away, terrified that she will be able to see the true depth of his regard for her. Least of all he wants to alarm her with the love that can easily burst into flames and burn him to ashes.

"Sunny?" Cassie utters softly.

"Umm," his eyes roam around the room until they fall on the couch. Maybe, if she would let him, Sunny thinks, he can distract her. She seems to like the way he kisses her, and he would be more than happy to do it for as long as… Sunny stops that train of thought, because he feels like he is about to destroy his chances. Besides, she's never told him why she came. What if he's misread the situation? Bloody hell…

"Sunny?' Cassie repeats, cupping his cheek in her palm, so he is forced to look at her. He swallows and opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again, because he has no idea what to say.

Cassie watches him for a moment, then, after a quick glance at the couch, offers him an impish grin. Sunny knows she can read him like an open book, she always could, so he has to do something, but what? Kiss her? Reassure her?... Confess and pledge his eternal devotion to her?

Cassie interrupts his panicked thoughts. "Sunny, you do have a bed, don't you?"

He takes a moment to search her face and make sure that he's heard her right. Then, not trusting his voice, simply nods.

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A/N Thank you for reading and reviewing.


	13. Chapter 13

**10.1. Cassie**

It seems like her skin is on fire. No, scratch that, her every cell is. What he does to her, with his lips, and his tongue, and his hands, and his whispers is far beyond anything she has experienced in a very long time. Maybe ever. She's never known that there were that many sensitive spots on her body, and yet, effortlessly, Sunny discovers them, one by one, making her writhe in pleasure and need, grabbing fistful of sheets and throwing her head back on the pillow.

The ease with which Sunny keeps building her up just to let her come down a little before building her up again is simply astounding. Who would have thought? Sunny bloody Khan! Cassie should probably pounder on that, but at this point her mental capacity is on a such a low level that she can't spear a thought on much of anything beyond a quiet litany of "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god" that bounces around her head, coming out in hoarse whispers between breathless moans.

At first, Cassie urges him to hurry up, to get to the point. When they've made it to bed and undressed, she is impatient. Only now, since this…whatever this is… between Sunny and she has started, does Cassie begin to realize how much she's being missing the delights of physical intimacy, the joy of skin on skin contact, the delicate dance of give and take. And, despite all her reservations about doing it with Sunny, she can't deny any longer that they are great together. They just work.

And so, she urges him on, eager for completion, but Sunny begs, "Please, please, give me time."

"What for?" They are both in bed, they are both naked, what is the delay?

"I want you to enjoy it," he answers softly, avoiding the eye contact, "I want you to enjoy it very much."

"Do you?" she giggles. Her laugh turns into a whimper, as he skims his lips over the underside of her breast.

"Yes," he tells her simply. Her usual reaction to tease him dissipates under his gaze. There is something in his dark eyes, the way he looks at her, that makes Cassie stop, and she has no choice but give in…

She doesn't know how much time Sunny was asking for, or how much time has actually elapsed since his hands elicited her first moan. But what Cassie does know with absolute certainty that she can't hold on for much longer. It is obvious to her that if she doesn't find her release shortly, and preferably, very shortly, she may simply combust from all the built-up need.

When she feels that Sunny, who for a while has lingered around her midsection, begins to move further south, she halts his progress with a breathless "Stop!"

It takes him a moment to process her request, but then his hand stills on her inner thigh, and he slowly detaches his lips from yet another sensitive spot on her stomach. With his head bend low and his nose still pressed to her skin, Cassie can't tell his reaction, but for some reason she knows the clarification is in order.

"Next time… Please..."

Sunny raises his head to look at her, and there is so much hope and so much adoration written all over his face that suddenly, even in her lust-induced haze, Cassie can see the alarming extent of the power she has over him.

Overwhelmed, she has to look away for a moment, and then, as he scrambles up, she repeats softly, "Next time." When he gets closer, she pulls him for a long kiss…

Later, much later, as they both lie, sweaty and gasping for air, Cassie's body feels like a jelly, warm and shapeless, quivering uncontrollably. With a grin on her face she slowly turns her head to see how Sunny is firing.

He looks a little like a whale thrown out of the water - slick, dark, round, and desperately struggling for breath, - Cassie think as her grin gets wider. She is about to say it, to make a joke, when Sunny looks at her. The sheer fondness that fills his gaze silences her and sends a wave of heat through her boneless body in such a way that, if not for the mind-blowing orgasm of moments ago, Cassie would be reaching for him and… Her grin falters, morphing into a loop-sided smile.

Meanwhile, she watches Sunny's laborious breathing, and her mind, stubbornly, comes up with another joke. This one is about the questionable fitness level of her officers. But just like the previous one, this joke dissolves unexpressed, as Sunny reaches out and lightly strokes her arm.

Cassie shivers, and he asks softly, "Are you alright?"

She nods and bites her lip. She knows it is a bad idea to make any kind of important decisions in this state, but Cassie can't help herself. Right about now she has no doubt that she will give this…whatever this is between Sunny and she… a chance. And maybe even a proper name…

Midnight finds them packing. When Sunny's begun gearing up for the second go, she's told him that if he wanted her to stay, he needed to finish packing.

"Yes, guv," he grins, "but after…" and brushes his lips over hers. That turns into a half a dozen long kisses, but eventually they both are up, somewhat dressed – a pajama bottoms for him, her plaid shirt over knickers for her, - and are working.

Sunny is on his knees by the enormous suitcase on the floor, trying to cram in more than the suitcase can legitimately absorb. Cassie searches for and hands him the items at his request. They don't make much progress, because she keeps making comments about Sunny feeble attempts to force things into the suitcase and giggling about utter absurdity of most of the stuff. Sunny is interested in packing much less than in following her movements with a heated gaze and finding opportunities to run his hands over her bare legs.

When it is the infamous rubber giraffe's turn to make its way into the suitcase, Cassie has another laughing feat. While she is distracted, Sunny shifts away from the suitcase, and, now, on his knees right in front of her, starts trailing hot wet path with his lips up her leg.

Cassie inhales sharply as he finds yet another sensitive spot high on her inner thigh. "Sunny," she puts her hand on his shoulder. He looks up at her, his dark eyes black with pure want, and for a moment Cassie isn't sure what can be more important than this – his hands on her calves, his lips on her thigh, the promise of more, so much more is heavy in the air. She whimpers, but squirms out of his hands. "We need to…" she nods at the piles of bags on the floor. Sunny sighs and returns to his task.

After the first suitcase is done, they take a supposedly short tea break. It turns into a long snogging session that gets so intense that they end up picking up broken pieces of Sunny's mug from the floor.

The second suitcase takes much less time to fill than the first, as they both quickly shoving in remaining items, without bothering too much with order or neatness. As soon as Sunny fights the zipper closed and belts the suitcase for safety, they are all over each other...

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A/N Thank you for reading and reviewing


	14. Chapter 14

**10.2. Cassie**

She wakes up to the sound of her mobile ringing.

"Dad?" she asks, trying simultaneously to listen to her father and to comprehend where she is and why she is there. It is not an easy thing to do, when her eyes refuse to open completely to the sunlit brightness of her surroundings and her brain is foggy from too little sleep.

"Good morning, sweetheart, how are you? Everything's alright?"

The concern in her father's voice elicits her 'go-to' response. "Fine… Umm, fine." But then she adds, "Why?"

"Are you on a case?" he asks. "Your workbag is here. Do you want me to drop it off for you at the office?"

Now it begins to click – Sunny's place, his lips and hands, his burning gaze, the packing, a couple of magnificent orgasms…well, maybe more… She has stayed the night, hasn't she?

"It's fine, dad, don't bother," Cassie hopes she sounds nonchalant enough to ward off any more questions. "I'll need to stop by the house anyway. See you then." She rings off and checks the time. Shit! She is late. And she is still naked, and not at her house, and…

"Is there a problem?" And there is that. Sunny. And the awkwardness of the 'morning-after'.

Fully awake now, Cassie takes a deep breath. This is so not what she had in mind, when she came here last night. On the other hand, she can't say exactly what she had in mind then – one minute she was watching her sister stealing a kiss from her husband as they were putting the leftovers away, and the next minute she was pressing Sunny's doorbell.

She turns her head to find Sunny looking at her. "Cassie?" The expression on his face is both guarded and vulnerable. Whatever she's been going to say becomes irrelevant. Instead, she leans closer, warns, "Morning breath," and kisses him.

The way Sunny responds to her makes Cassie forget just about everything. And so, it is with a considerable effort she manages to separate herself from him before things heat up to the point of no return. For a few long moments they lie, facing each other, both a bit breathless.

"No regrets?" Sunny finally asks, his gaze is warm.

"Seriously?" she snorts, gives him a quick peck on the cheek, and moves to get up. Sunny catches her arm and tugs lightly, but enough for her to lose her balance and fall onto his chest.

"Sunny!" she squeals, while he draws her closer.

"Can I ask you out now?" his lips are brushing against her jaw, moving purposefully to her lips. "Would you like," he pauses to kiss her, "to go," another pause with a kiss, "on a date with me?" The last kiss is of a long, toe-curling kind.

"Sunny," comes out more like a moan, than an admonishment she is aiming for. Once again, it takes an effort for Cassie to free herself from his grasp and sit up.

"Is that a yes?" smiling at her, Sunny reaches out and strokes her hand. His soft touch makes her shiver, and once again she is about to forget…well, everything. That is when the alarm on her mobile begins to blip.

She pulls away from Sunny to shut the alarm. Then she looks at the time and swears. "For a police officer, who asks questions for living," before Sunny can react, she is out of the bed and away from his reach, "you have remarkably bad timing."

Looking down at him, Cassie finally regains the ability to think rationally. Somewhat at least. So, she grabs the sheet, leaving Sunny bare to fend for himself in a cool morning air. He makes an attempt to hold on to the sheet, but he isn't quick enough. Smirking, she wraps the sheet around herself and says, "And your reflexes are definitely not up to par."

"Whateves," he grins and, undeterred, repeats, "Was is a 'yes' to a date?"

"Sunny, I am late to work, I am still naked, and you have a plane to catch…" Cassie knows she is stalling. And she rarely does. But this…whatever this is…between Sunny and her has being… Unsettling? Wonderful? Shocking? Too good to be true? There, she can't even characterize it. Realizing how much Sunny was attracted to her took her by surprise. But realizing how much she was attracted to him truly astonished her. Who would have thought? Sunny bloody Khan!

In the bright light of the morning, the promise that she made to herself last night does feel a bit extravagant. And yet… As he is smiling at her, happy and hopeful, unaware of her inner turmoil, Cassie can't find a good reason to say 'no' to him.

It is only that 'yes' seems to be too disconcerting to verbalize…

She is saved by the alarm on Sunny's mobile. While he turns away from her to deal with it, Cassie spots her plaid shirt on the floor by the foot of the bed and goes to pick up. For a moment she wonders how the shirt could've come off last, but memories of the night are hazy at best, where clothing removal is concerned. But she does vividly recall some other events.

Muttering under her breath and trying not to blush too hard, Cassie quickly proceeds to retrace Sunny and her movement from last night in the opposite direction – from the bedroom to the living room. She didn't have much on, when she came to Sunny's house, so it doesn't take her long to collect most of the items. Although, fishing her bra from between the two enormous suitcases or locating her left runner behind the hallway vase slow down her progress.

Still wrapped in the sheet, Cassie comes back to the bedroom with the armful of her clothes. Sunny has put on his pajama bottoms and is sitting on the bed, smiling as she looks at him.

"I'll just…" her stutter surprises her, so she finishes with a nod in the direction of the bathroom. At least she's got her blushing under control.

"Please, make yourself at home," he responds. "The clean towels are on the lower shelf."

Before heading to the bathroom, she checks her mobile and swears. She is so late, and there are already messages from the office, and she is still naked, and not in her house.

"Cassie," Sunny calls after her, as she rushes to the bathroom. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Her hand is already on the bathroom door, when she turns around with an annoyed 'what?' on the tip of her tongue. Sunny is standing behind her, still smiling, proffering to her what appears to be a patch of blue fabric. Which is not just a patch, she realizes, but very much a garment. It is her knickers.

To cover for the reappearance of the blush, Cassie smirks as she takes them out of his hands, "Couldn't resist a trophy, Sunny?"

Still smiling, he steps closer, aiming for a kiss. "I would prefer the trophies of another kind," he murmurs. Suddenly, it is not the blushing Cassie needs to worry about.

When she leaves the bathroom, fully dressed and showered, she feels more like her normal self. She also has decided that, since there is a set of clean clothes she keeps in the cubby at the station, she can forgo stopping by her house and make it to the office on time.

The bedroom is empty, so she calls out, "Sunny?"

"In the kitchen," she hears his response.

He has added a vest to his attire, and is waiting for her with two steaming mugs of tea sitting on the counter in front of him. The tea in one mug is black and the tea in the other one is the right shade of white. Just as she likes it.

"I am sorry, I have nothing else to offer," Sunny gestured around the kitchen, "I cleaned out all the food yesterday." He sounds upset, as if he truly believes he is supposed to provide a five-star breakfast to her.

"I really don't have time for…" Cassie starts, but Sunny interrupts her pushing the mug with milky tea towards her, "It just a cup of tea. It won't take long."

It is not just a cup of tea, she realizes as she takes a careful sip. It is a cup of very good tea. And she is parched. Without noticing, Cassie closes her eyes and takes another couple of satisfying sips. When she opens her eyes, she can see Sunny watching her with a look on his face that could only be described as besotted.

"Is now a good time to talk about that date?" he asks quietly.

"Didn't work with you and Rosie, did it?" She knows it is silly of her to say things like that, especially considering the events of the last ten hours or so. Still, she is only half joking.

"Rosie?" Sunny furs his brows. "DCI Rodrigez?"

Honestly, what is wrong with her, Cassie thinks. She can't be jealous. She never is. Is she? "Forget it. I…"

"Cassie," he stops her, reaching for her hand. The pleasure that his simple touch gives her makes the irrationality of her question look even more obvious.

"Rosie, um, DCI Rodrigez has been dating a barrister, who happened to be an Indian gentleman," Sunny meanwhile continues.

"Sunny, it's alright," she interjects, but he presses on. "It's not a secret. Not anymore. She's just announced her engagement." His smile is soft, wishful, when he continues. "She seems very happy."

"Great. It's great," Cassie says honestly. She frees her hand from Sunny's hold, runs it through her hair, and adds, "I am very happy for her."

As if mesmerized Sunny follows the movement of her hand that he's just let go. "Anyway, since she found out that her fiancé's family and mine are from the same province, she keeps asking me about traditions, and customs, and such." Sunny shrugs. "What to bring to dinner, what not to wear, when meeting the family…"

"Did you tell her about this tradition?" Cassie nods toward the four enormous suitcases ready for Sunny's trip.

He glances at his luggage and deadpans, "Why would I jeopardized the happiness of a fellow Indian gentleman?"

Cassie snorts into her tea. She can't say why, but she feels lighter somehow, as if a burden has been lifted. She takes several small sips to hide her smile. Sunny watches her, the besotted expression is back on his face.

"Well, Sunny," she glances at him over the run of her mug. "Who is going to tell _me_ about customs and traditions and such, were _I_ to date an Indian gentleman?"

He smiles, takes the mug out of her hand, puts in on the counter, and pulls her toward him. "I can tell you," he starts quietly, leaning in, his lips are grazing her ear, then moving along her cheekbone. "Anything you want. Any time you want."

"Sunny," she breathes out…

At the door Cassie turns to see him looking at her, a mixture of barely hidden longing and hope in his dark eyes.

"How about first Saturday you are back and we are both rostered off?" she asks.

Sunny stares at her for a moment, "You mean…" His eyes shift between hers a couple of times, as if he is looking for confirmation that he's understood her correctly.

"Sunny?" she prompts him.

"You are so beautiful," he says and winces, as if it is completely not what he's been going to say. And it probably hasn't been. "Umm, I mean…"

Cassie grins, "Just don't meet anyone more beautiful in India."

"I promise," he nods, drawing her into his arms. "I'll pick you up at seven."

"Your mother will be disappointed," Cassie points out, her arms sliding around his waist.

"Yes, she will be," Sunny agrees, one of his hands moves to cradle the back of her head, while the other finds its way under her vest on the small of her back.

"How will you survive that?" Cassie voice hitches, when he pulls her closer.

"Oh, I have my ways." It looks like there is something else he wants to say, but instead he chooses to kiss her.

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 **A/N** Thank you for reading and reviewing


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